Any review of the m1200? Have long time

Any review update of the m1200 , have long time I hear anything any combination of the m1200 with bhk preamp , the sound will improve last time any write about in period of burn in :slight_smile:

I believe a few reviews are coming. No ETA, but hopefully soon. I can tell you the BHK pre + M1200 combo is stunning. Presence and realism was oozing out of speakers that didn’t have the right to produce such a believable sound stage. I’ve heard this combo on pretty budget speakers and it sounded so good, I was slightly upset I spent as much as I did on my speakers.

5 Likes

Thanks jamesh. And if add the p12 power plant to the bhk preamp and the m1200 will be a significant. Step on sound , I also considered the bhk 250 bhk preamp and p15. But for the budget the m1200 bhk preamp and p12 I thinking but my first option is the bhk 250 bhk preamp and the p15 , I really don’t now what direction I go for my legacy focus se speakers :frowning: i not have expirience with all this equipment sound

I have to agree with you Jamesh ! I have both the BHK Pre and a pair of M 1200’s. The pre has 2650 hours and the 1200’s now have almost 700 hours on them. What I noticed was blah until around 200 hrs. At that point it was getting comparable to the M 700’s they replaced.
However, as they approached 400 hrs… Wow did things change!!
They started to sound like the 700’s only Bigger in all respects! Deeper bass, bigger center channel image with more transparency and the top just opened up and floated off into space. It blew me away! Had the 1200’s not arrived on the scene, I would of been very content with the 700’s but oh my what an improvement!!! Perhaps not double but substantially so!
But the real improvement has been when the amps transitioned the500 hr Mark! These amps need extended Break-in time.
So yes Jamesh, the 1200/BHK pre combo is the bees knees but more so then the 700 BHK combo.
Either way is fantastic but if one is shooting for the moon then go the 1200 route!

So I would like to know what speakers you are using that you spent so much on?
Can you share with us?

2 Likes

I’m curious about the speaker choice as well since I’m looking for something to compliment my M700s. Don’t have the budget for the 1200s yet.

Thank sandrock. Your info will help me a lot , I have the legacy audio focus se speakers, I think to go with bhk 250 bhk preamp and p15 , but people tell a lot of the m1200 and now I thinking more to m1200 bhk preamp An the p12 power plant combo , Paul say the bhk 250 will be better but will be a lot investment $ maybe the combo of the m1200 great for my speakers too, I don’t have experience with sound of ps audio I only have the direct stream dac but never I heard a ps audio power amp and preamp , much people say class a/b Amp are better than class d Amp will se what road I go , thanks alfredo

So I can understand your dilemma algnr1636!
I too gave some serious thought to which way I should go ‘Amp-wise’!
Do I want the 1200’s or the BHK 250? The financial difference is 1500$, right?

So all I can suggest is that you and anyone else who finds themselves in the same position,
to let their wallet do the talking…

For me I felt that the best bang for the buck was the M 1200’s, hands down!
Yes, I suspect that the BHK 250 does sound better BUT does it sound 1500$ better?
Yes, no doubt it most likely does sound better but by how much?
I also have a P 12 along with an Aurender N100H server.
For me, I have reached the top of the mountain/hill sonically speaking with the electronics I have selected and need to go no further.
Within all that I currently have, I have done a number of inexpensive tweaks to improve the sound.
So what I have sounds very, very good without the high cost of bigger equipment.

I now I can relax and step-off the ‘merry-go-round’ and enjoy what I have, knowing that my sound is right at the summit of sonic purity and will stand shoulder to shoulder with any other sound system and hold its own.
Remember, the biggest thing about PS Audio is that their mantra has always been, “good sound does not have to cost a-lot” especially if you buy right!

I hope what I have said has helped you in your decision making process.

1 Like

Thanks a lot I apriciated, I hope I will demo soon in a oficial dealer and make a decision, but I like what I read about the m1200 , my ears will tell me when I demo the m1200 are less $1,500 than the bhk 250 and the p12 are less $2,500 than p15 and will either combination I sure will sound good , I will update sound when I demo the amps , thanks alfredo

El El dom, 26 de jul. de 2020 a la(s) 9:39 p. m., Sandrock via PS Audio <psaudio@discoursemail.com> escribió:

I was thinking that it has been quiet on the M1200’s good to read about them again. We were due for an update!

1 Like

Yes, certainly a tough choice! Yes, the BHK 250 bests the M1200s but I hate using the word compromise and the M1200s in the same sentence because they’re such darn good amps! If the budget allows, stepping that P12 up to a P15 is worth it. It’s a big upgrade that benefits the whole system and the added headroom makes any upgrade in the future a lot easier.

Sandrock, I’m glad you posted about the break in hours on the M1200’s. I am using 3 1200’s for my front stage L/C/R, I have about 250-300 hours on them and didn’t notice a big step up, with that being said I have noticed a big difference in the lower to mid bass over the 700’s. I’m hoping that the highs mellow out a bit. I am glad to hear that with a couple hundred more hours things will start to relax with M1200’s.

1 Like

Fishingdude:

I can fully understand your concerns, however for me what I noticed is that at around 200 hours the M1200 amps were beginning to get much better sound-wise!
Prior to that they were just sort of average sonically speaking.

However once they crossed the 200 hr mark I noticed that things began to really start to improve. I would suggest that they became sonically sounding just like the well broken-in M700’s sounded.
My initial conclusion was “what have I done?” Traded out one set of amps for another set of amps that sounded mostly the same. Ugh!

Then it came to my mind that perhaps the M 1200’s needed more ‘break-in’ time past the 200 hr mark.
Undaunted, I continued playing them and what I continued to notice as the amps got more time they started to relax and became much more enjoyable to listen too.
The improvements were delightfully surprising. As I mentioned in my previous post what struck me was how much ‘bigger’ the sound was from top to bottom. Yes the M 700’s are very good amps however the M 1200’s are more enjoyable to listen too as they produce a bigger bass, a much larger midrange and sound stage and the top was as smooth as silk. Plus their transparency is wonderful and it catches my ear every time and changes just an average song into something worth listening too.

What it all comes down to is “time-in-grade” if I can say that?

By the time I reached 500 hrs I was absolutely stunned by the way they sounded. Every time I turn them on it only takes perhaps 10 to fifteen minutes tops for everything to be fully warmed up and sounding its best. Where as I noticed that the M 700’s took a full 30 to 45 minutes plus to reach their sonic best.

For me, I am so pleased I was able to acquire the 1200’s and be able to acknowledge the joy of how my system has grown with the new amps. Yes the 700’s are very good… but the 1200’s and just that much better. Both are a good purchase, however the 12’s are that much better if your pocket book says OK let’s do it.

Happy listening my friends.
Ian/sandrock

3 Likes

IcePower based amps take a “long” time to break in and need to be on all the time and not powered completely down. Sandrock experience is spot on and mimics mine with multiple Class D amps using modules from three different companies.

3 Likes

It is a bit of a bummer this. We put these puppies on a slight burn before we ship them out which was requested by Darren, but it’s nothing compared to what they need. If production had the real estate and time, we’d love to put a few hundred hours on each amp. Getting this many hours on them can certainly be hard, but I receive so many emails from folks mentioning exactly what you’re saying here. At first, folks are a bit skeptical. But after they hit about 250hrs, their response, “there’s no way you’re getting these puppies back from me!”

2 Likes

Sandrock, thanks for the encouraging post. I will give them another couple hundred hours and see where we are. I’m in the middle of a system upgrade I have a new McIntosh MX170 processor and a C53 preamp coming in the few weeks. So it will be a good opportunity to put some hours on all the new stuff.

Dawkinsj: thanks for the input on the amps. I keep my M700’s and the S300’s on all of the time. I was under the impression that with my M1200’s they should not be left on all the time as it would wear down tube life in the amplifiers. What are your thoughts? Thanks in advance.

The power switches on the M1200’s work just like the BHK’s in the the back switch turns the IcePower modules on and the standby switch turns the tube input section on and off. So just like the BHK’s back switch on and front switch off when not using. None of my Class D amps had tube stages including the one based on the same 1200as modules so I left them completely on (both switches) 24/7.

1 Like

I am currently listening to my system (the 1200’s) and it caught me!
What I am now hearing is a Fuller Sound from bottom to top.

It’s just fuller and more enjoyable to listen to the system now, because it sounds more real” and fuller…
Perhaps it’s just my way of listening, maybe?
But check it out?

2 Likes

I forgot to mention that the center channel image is so full… wow!

It’s been a real enjoyment to be able to listen to the M 1200’s.
As much as I have enjoyed listening to the M 700’s, however
The 1200’s are in a much larger experience.

Perhaps you might be interested in me sharing with you my current setup

8 Likes